Countering Palestinian Terrorism In Israel

A suggested approach to the policy issue of what and how much should be done by the Government of Israel to counter the objective threat of Palestinian terrorism. Palestinian terrorism is defined as Palestinian acts of low-level violence carried out for a political purpose, with the intent of inflicting casualties and damage as well as inducing fear and rage in Israeli society, and by so doing to incite Israel to react. After a historical analysis of Palestinian violence and Israeli countermeasures, the study focuses on current perceptions and observations. Terrorism is perceived by Israeli society as a major threat, both as a threat to the individual and as damaging to the national image. The perception of terrorism, however, is out of proportion to the share of terrorism in causing casualties, the reasons for which are given. The author suggests that Israel reduce the discrepancy in resource allocation among all casualty-preventing programs (say, preventing car accidents as well as countering terrorism); ameliorate society's perception of the subjective danger of terrorism; and, in general, to not react as expected to terrorist provocations. The study was prepared as a dissertation for the RAND Graduate Institute.

Since declaring independence in 1948, Israel has been involved in an intractable conflict with the Palestinians and its neighbors. While violence has ebbed and flowed over the years, the threat of terrorism has remained a constant factor, shaping Israeli security policy in a unique way. Boaz Ganor provides an authoritative analysis of Israel’s approach to counterterrorism throughout its existence. Drawing on unprecedented access to Israeli leaders, he offers a comprehensive insider’s account of the decision-making processes, challenges, and dilemmas at the core of counterterror activities. Beginning with infiltration attacks from neighboring states immediately after independence and proceeding through the formation of organized Palestinian terror organizations up to the present day, this book details distinct eras of terrorism and how the Israeli state has counteracted them. Ganor also highlights the dynamic nature of both terrorism and counterterrorism: Just as waves of terror rise, fall, and evolve, so too do the measures employed to respond to them. He distills the lessons of Israel’s experience into key tenets for other countries facing the challenge of terrorism. The book features revelatory personal testimony from senior Israeli decision makers who have played pivotal roles in counterterrorism strategy, including prime ministers, defense ministers, Israeli Defense Forces chiefs of staff, and directors of Mossad and Shin Bet. Israel’s Counterterrorism Strategy is indispensable reading for students, scholars, and practitioners alike.

The expansion and escalation of global terrorism has left populations across the world and decision-makers responsible for contending with it unprepared. This book, now in paperback, is the first attempt of its kind to create a manual of counter-terrorism measures on all the relevant operational levels. The author's main purpose is to give decision-makers the tools to make rational and effective decisions in both preventing and countering terrorism. The need to contend with terrorism can be found in almost every sphere of life: security, prevention and suppression of terrorism, legal and ethical dilemmas regarding democratic issues, such as the individual's human rights, intelligence interrogations, the right of the public to know, as well as coping with social, psychological, and media-related issues.

Discusses the rise of suicide bombers in the Middle East, the reasons behind many suicide bombings, and the history of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

Many nations have been forced to contend with the phenomenon of suicide terrorism on almost a daily basis. Such diverse countries as Turkey, Sri Lanka, Israel, and the United States have all been targeted by terrorists who effectively used suicide terrorism against densely populated civilian and military targets. In this volume, academic experts and counter-terrorism professionals compare ways and means of countering the threat of suicide terrorism. Suicide terrorism constitutes an additional stage in the escalation of terrorist activity. In his ability to implement the attack at precisely the time and place where it will cause the maximum number of casualties and greatest damage, the suicide bomber is virtually guaranteed success. Even the least deadly of such attacks succeeds in striking a devastating blow to public morale. Suicide terrorism is all the more threatening because of the difficulties in confronting it, the large number of casualties, and the religious or ideological zeal it inspires. It is a phenomenon that often, though not always, goes hand in hand with religious extremism, which distorts religion in the service of political aims. In order to find ways of combating the phenomenon of suicide terrorism, the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism held an international conference on the subject in February 2000 at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya. The conference brought together academic experts and counter-terrorism professionals from all over the world in a multi-disciplinary venue. Lecturers included experts from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Turkey, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The conclusion reached was that the phenomenon of religious and nationalist suicide terrorism is likely to become all the more acute in the coming years.

How does a group that operates terror cells and espouses violence become a ruling political party? How is the world to understand and respond to Hamas, the militant Islamist organization that Palestinian voters brought to power in the stunning election of January 2006? This important book provides the most fully researched assessment of Hamas ever written. Matthew Levitt, a counterterrorism expert with extensive field experience in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, draws aside the veil of legitimacy behind which Hamas hides. He presents concrete, detailed evidence from an extensive array of international intelligence materials, including recently declassified CIA, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security reports. Levitt demolishes the notion that Hamas’ military, political, and social wings are distinct from one another and catalogues the alarming extent to which the organization’s political and social welfare leaders support terror. He exposes Hamas as a unitary organization committed to a militant Islamist ideology, urges the international community to take heed, and offers well-considered ideas for countering the significant threat Hamas poses.